Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Road Trip 2010: Day 7: part 2
Critters from Minot, ND to Regina, SK

Driving north out of Minot, ND this morning we came across all those missing little prairie potholes that we left behind in Minnesota. They were tucked down in the wide valleys carved by the meltwater and filled by the silts of the last ice age.

Every one of those small ponds and puddles, even those that were on top of the plateau and were obviously ephemeral in nature, harbored water fowl, waders and gulls.

We got to see our first Western Meadowlark today. There was a Western Kingbird at our lunch spot. Several small wading birds in the sandpiper or plover realm have us stumped. They are tough enough to ID when standing still, but when you're going 60 mph (100 kmh) they are near to impossible.

Oh, we did see our first Pronghorn of the trip. A pair were walking within 30-40 yards (meters) of the highway. And ground squirrels. We saw ground squirrels right here in downtown Regina. Cute little things. Good food for hawks, owls, weasels, coyotes, bob cats, and snakes. They also loosen up the soil. Other than that, they are pests.

1 comment:

Rev. Paul said...

As you wend your way westward (nice alliteration, huh?), and get closer to the Rockies, be prepared for all manner of larger critters.

On our way here, we were first stopped by a herd of bison (really), then later by antelope, and finally - as we approached Beaver Creek near the Alaskan border - wild horses running back & forth across the road.

Keep, as they say, your camera handy.